This application claims the priority of German Application No. 198 34 058.3 filed Jul. 29, 1998, which is incorporated herein by reference.
This invention relates to a propellant for accelerating projectiles of large-caliber ammunition and further relates to an electric energy supplying and control device coupled with the propellant for igniting the charge and controlling its combustion process by means of an arc plasma.
An increase of the firing power of known barrel-type weapons is conventionally achieved by propellants whose chemical composition results in an increase of the temperature of the propellant gases upon firing a shot. Higher gas temperatures of the propellant, however, are disadvantageous in that they lead to an excessively high erosion of the weapon barrel. Further, the firing power in known barrel-type weapons depends essentially from the temperature of the propellant powder before the shot is fired.
Conventionally, as disclosed, for example, in European Patent No. 0 538 219, for reducing the temperature-dependent influence of the powder, the propellant is composed of a plurality of partial charges made up of different powder types, charge sizes and geometrical shapes of the powder.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved propellant system of the above-outlined type which leads to an increase of the firing power of the barrel-type weapon without the need for a significant temperature increase of the propellant gases generated by chemical reaction (propellant conversion). It is a further object to avoid a temperature-dependent influence on the propellant powder.
These objects and others to become apparent as the specification progresses, are accomplished by the invention, according to which, briefly stated, the propellant system for launching a large-caliber projectile includes a propellant having at least three partial charges. The first partial charge is adapted to the acceleration requirements of the projectile; the second partial charge has a higher combustion velocity than that of the first partial charge; and the third partial charge has a lower combustion velocity than that of the first partial charge. The propellant system further includes an electric energy supply and control device connected to the propellant for igniting the propellant. The electric energy supply and control device has a plasma generator for affecting a combustion behavior of the propellant such as to obtain for said first partial charge, after ignition of the propellant, a maximum gas pressure level of always the same magnitude independently from an initial propellant temperature, and to obtain, for the third partial charge, a conversion such as to prolong the maximum gas pressure level in a predeterminable manner.
The invention is based on the principle that the ignition and a controlled chemical reaction of the propellant with increased energy content is achieved by utilizing electrical energy by means of at least one arc plasma.
According to the invention, the propellant is composed of at least three partial charges having different behaviors of combustion. Thus, the first partial charge is adapted to the acceleration requirements of the projectile mass to be launched and which constitutes the preponderant proportion of the propellant volume. The second partial charge has a higher combustion velocity than the first partial charge and thus leads to a steeper slope of the gas pressure curve of the propellant. The third partial charge has a combustion velocity which is less than that of the first partial charge and which, influenced by the arc plasma, effects a prolongation of the maximum gas pressure level defined by the first partial charge.